Upcoming releases from world-renowned developers typically garner a frenzy of media attention as fans speculate about their favorite franchises. Publishers release trailers and gameplay showcases to garner interest in their games' new mechanics and improved graphics. A lot of careful planning goes into this procedure, but even the best-laid plans aren’t foolproof as there are leakers who dedicate themselves to finding out official information about a game yet-to release.GTA 6was the most high-profile leakin recent memory, andAssassin’s Creed Nexusis the latest game out of Ubisoft to fall victim. While leaks are a common occurrence in the industry,Nexusmight be Ubisoft’s worst-kept secret yet.
In 2020, Ubisoft announced anAssassin’s Creedtitle was coming to Meta VR alongsideSplinter Cell. Fans have been piecing together bits of information to learn more about the VRAssassin’s Creedgame, and for a while it appeared the future ofAssassin’s Creed Nexuswas in jeopardy, with rumors of cancelation running amok following the premature demise of theSplinter CellVR title. Ubisoft has still yet to officially announceAssassin’s Creed Nexusis in development, attempting - albeit unsuccessfully - to keep any information firmly under wraps.
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The Uncertainty of Assassin’s Creed Nexus' Release
Rumors about the cancelation ofAssassin’s Creed Nexushave not been entirely laid to rest. Tom Henderson, a known leaker with an impressive track record of credibility, has been the leading source of theAssassin’s Creed Nexusleaks. Henderson claimed Ubisoft would reveal the new entry at its last Ubisoft Forward event, along with a flurry of other titles likeAssassin’s Creed Mirage,Codename: Jade,Codename: Red, andCodename: Hexe.Nexuswas notably absent from the display.
The omission led many fans to believe theAssassin’s CreedVR game was no longer in the works. Henderson remarkedAssassin’s Creed Nexuscould meet a similar fate to that ofSplinter Cell VR, but given so many details can be sussed out about the game, it seemsAssassin’s Creed’s first foray into VR was more likely to be completed. Henderson isn’t the only leaker to speak aboutNexus, with two popular Reddit accounts revealing gameplay details too.
Nexus' Innovative Gameplay Could Be Legendary
Rumors suggestAssassin’s Creed Nexuswill contain 16 missions and multiple playable characters as Ubisoft prepares to bring back several fan-favorite Assassins - including Ezio, Kassandra, Connor, and Haytham. Of the 16 missions, players will have the opportunity to control Ezio for six of them, Kassandra and Connor for four and five respectively, while Haytham will make a single playable appearance at thefinal mission ofAssassin’s CreedNexus. The reappearance of these characters suggests multiple locations and time periods might be on offer.
Additionally, the mission progression is linear with room for backtracking, and according to some other leakers, there are no side missions. Controlling these characters in a VR setting should pose a fresh challenge, even down to the basic stealth mechanics that have now become second nature for fans ofAssassin’s Creed.Nexuswill reportedly use two types of movement; the controller analog stick and teleportation, offering a choice to try and avoid thepitfall of VR motion sickness.
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Stealth is the prevalenttheme ofAssassin’s Creed, and teleportation should provide a new dynamic to conquer, as the new method of movement comes with a soundbar that lets players know if enemies are alert to their maneuvers. Teleporting too close will cause the victims to become aware of players' presence, so jumping to a medium distance and sneaking along manually to close the distance seems the most efficient way to secure a kill.
Assassin’s Creed Nexusis said to contain all the essentials of the franchise: stealth, pickpocketing, sword combat, lockpicking, burglary, and theiconic Leap of Faith. Sword combat is timing-based, and lockpicking takes the form of a mini-game to elongate missions, rewarding players for finding the right combination to chests and doors. The Leap of Faith is a risk due to the aforementioned motion sickness, but could be its most spectacular selling point
With so much information available on a game that isn’t even confirmed, it is safe to say Ubisoft hasn’t done a great job at shielding its ideas from nosy fans. However, thanks to these leaks, people have an idea of what to hopefully expect fromAssassin’s Creed Nexusupon announcement.
